Redefining Charity.
No Ordinary Non-Profit
charity: water is no ordinary non-profit. With their 100% model
and unique marketing tactics, it is no wonder the organization
has received praise from outlets such as TIME, Forbes, and The
Wallstreet Journal. The company has raised more than 100 million
dollars in donations to bring safe, clean drinking water to developing
nations since its start in 2006 by CEO Scott Harrison. Not only
are they slowly bringing an end to the water crisis, charity: water
is also setting a new standard for charities which range from how
they inspire their donor base to the handling of donations.
“What differentiates us from a lot of non-profits, not just water
non-profits, are two things: our 100% model and we approve
every dollar,” said Christine Choe, Senior Manager of Strategy
& Business Operations. “So the 100% model means 100% of
every dollar donated, that the public gives, goes directly to the
field to fund water projects. Even if you donate $10 dollars, all of
that goes to a water project. We even reimburse credit card fees
if you give by credit card.”
To clarify, the organization manages two pools of money:
public donations which fund water projects and “The Well”—a
membership program where donors give a set amount towards
their operating expenses each year. The Well usually consists of
private donors, foundations, and sponsors.
With 100% of public funds going towards water projects and
an incredible knack for story-telling, charity: water is inspiring
donors (or campaigners, as the organization likes to call them) to
fundraise with contagious enthusiasm. To date, more than 20,000
donors have held birthday campaigns, created videos, etc. all to
raise funds for the company’s main mission: bringing people
in developing countries clean water. “People have been really
creative: [campaigners] give up birthdays and weddings for us.
[They do things] like polar plunges. So we have an amazing group
of supporters that way… They campaign for us and we use their
network to help fund for water,” Choe explains.
The Water Crisis
charity: water is working tirelessly to educate the world on the
water crisis our world is currently suffering from. Their website
emphasizes while the water crisis begins with water, it affects
far more than that—education, health, poverty, and women and
children.
Currently, 1 in 9 people lack access to safe drinking water. While
that may seem far-fetched to most people, given that 70 percent
of our world is covered in water, only 2.5 percent of the water on
earth is fresh. Of that 2.5 percent, only 1 percent is easily accessed
by the world’s approximately 6.8 billion people. Therefore, the
water crisis affects everyone, but those in developing areas of
Africa and Southeast Asia are particularly affected.
www.conferomag.com | 13